Bowling ball propelling mechanism



1966 A. M. ROCKWOOD BOWLING BALL PROPELLING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 30, 1962 D 1 Aw m MW M mw V mm M m% w? w A WM. 4 lllllllllllllllllll |l. m u n m n l m m Q a L 1 L r R3 @QH QQH Q A. M. ROCKWOOD 3,236,223

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIII BOWLING BALL PROPELLING MECHANISM Feb. 22, 1966 Filed Nov. 30, 1962 II i 2 S, 8 w wfi United States Patent 3,236,223 BOWLING BALL PROPELLING MECHANISM Albert M. Rockwood, North Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,342 7 Claims. (Cl. 124-11) This invention relates to a ball propelling mechanism, and more particularly to a highly accurate means of propelling a bowling ball at a desired rate of linear speed and rotation.

As is well known, bowling balls are presently hand thrown on a bowling lane into a given pin pattern with the intention of knocking over the maximum number of pins. A hand thrown ball has both linear speed and rotation, and the ball can be thrown straight or with a hook. All these conditions must be considered and duplicated in a mechanical ball thrower if true simulation of a hand thrown ball is to be obtained.

A ball propelling mechanism of this type has many uses in the bowling field. It may be used from the bowlers end of the alley by handicapped bowlers, thus bringing the game of bowling to thousands who cannot now participate. Further, it may be used in conjunction with test programs in which repeated tests can 'be made exactly similar to study the action of bowling pins, bowling balls and other related bowling mechanisms. The propelling mechanism may also serve as a ball accelerator to return the bowling ball from the pit area to the bowlers end of the alley. These uses are suggested only as examples and not intended to limit other possible uses of the mechanism.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved ball propelling mechanism which imparts both controlled linear speed and controlled rotation to a ball without damaging the ball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ball propelling mechanism which will give the same ball path each time under similar condi- .tions.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved highly accurate ball propelling mechanism which will simulate a hand thrown ball both as to straight and hook ball paths.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism comprising a frame, a ball carriage, ball rotating means, and ball translating means to form an accurate ball propelling device.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent-from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the bowling ball propelling mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along line 33 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 44 in FIG. 3.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and it should be understood that the present'disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, the bowling ball propelling mechanism is shown in side elevation in FIG. 1 and includes generally a frame section including a base plate 12 and a square mounting block 14 having a circular aperture 22 therein; an air cylinder 16 connected to the frame by an intermediate housing 18; and a ball carriage shown generallly at 20.

The mounting block 14 includes the aperture 22 which supports a pair of ball-type bearings 24. These bearings support a splined piston rod 26 which is connected to a piston 28 by a nut 30 in the air cylinder 16 as best shown in FIG. 3. A flexible cup seal 32 closes off the opening between cylinder 16 and intermediate housing 18. This flexible seal 32 is held on the piston 28 by piston block 34 and is attached between air cylinder 16 and the intermediate housing 18 as by screws 36. The screws 36 also connect the cylinder 16 to the intermediate housing 18. Also positioned around piston rod '26 and located within piston 28 is a resilient shock absorber 38 composed of alternating discs of a metal such as aluminum 40 and resilient material such as rubber or neoprene 42.

The air cylinder 16 includes an air inlet 44, the inlet having a valve therein (not shown) to allow air to enter the cylinder 16, and also to all-ow the air to be removed after the mechanism is discharged and the piston 28 is returned into the cylinder 16, as will be described hereinafter. Apertures 48 are positioned in the intermediate housing 18 to allow the air trapped in the intermediate housing to escape as the piston moves to the right (as shown in FIG. 3).

The ball propelling mechanism rests on the base plate 12 and apertures 50 are provided therein for attachment to a supporting surface. A support 52 is attached to the base plate as by welding and positions the block 14 thereon. A saw cut 54 passes through one side of the block 14 and a flange 56 attached to one end of the block, said cut passing from the outside of block 14 and flange 56 to the aperture 22 therein. This allows a plurality of holding screws 58 to retain the block 14 in close contact with bearings 24 and prevent the rotation of the bearings in the block by drawing the block 14 tight against the bearing exteriors. Additionally, set screws 60 and 62 pas-s through the block 14 and contact the exterior surface of the bearings 24. This further prevents rotation of the bearings within the block 14 by holding the bearings firmly immovable in block 14. However, when screws 58 and set screws 60 and 62 are loosened, the 'bearingsmay be turned to rot-ate the piston rod 26 with respect to the frame 10. This is possible since the piston rod 26 is held against rotation in the bearing but allowed to move axially as described hereinbelow. These screws 58 and set screws 60 and 62 are then tightened to retain the bearings 24 and piston rod 26 in their desired position.

As shown in FIG. 4 the piston rod 26 includes splines 64 having lands 66 and grooves 68. These lands and grooves operate with respect to the balls 70 of the bearings 24 preventing rotation of the piston rod 26 apart from rotation of the bearings 24, but allow piston rod 26 to move axially in the bearings 24.

The ball carriage 20 includes two spaced apart arms 72 and a center member 74 therebetween with the arms 72 connected to 74 by a pair of braces 76 welded thereto and holding the arms 72 in their proper position. Member 74 is welded to a forked connector arm 78 which is fitted inside one end of the piston rod 26 and held therein as by a pin 80. A roller 82 is rotatably mounted on member 74 for a purpose which will become apparent hereinafter.

A motor 84 is attached to the frame as by bracket 86 and screws 88. This motor drives a friction wheel 90 connected thereto which frictionally drives one of a pair of pulleys 92, the other pulley 92 being connected thereto by shaft 93. A belt 94, one on each side of carriage 20, is connected between pulley 92 and a pulley 96 with each pulley 96 being connected to a roller 98 by shaft 100. Thus, as the motor 84 rotates, the power is transmitted 3 to rollers 98. A bowling ball 102 rests on rollers 98 and roller 82 and is rotated thereon by rollers 98.

A latch mechanism 104 is mounted on the block 14 and the flange 56. This latch mechanism 104 includes arm 106 pivotally connected to the flange 56 as at 108, and arm 110 pivotally connected to arm 106 as at 112. The other end of arm 110 is pivotally connected to latch 114 as at 116 and the latch 114 is pivotally connected to block 14 as at 118. The lower end of the latch 114 rests on steel ball 120 located in connector arm 78 and releasably retains piston rod 26 in its ready position when the latch is latched. Further connected to latch 114 is one end of a resilient member 122 having a roller 124 at the other end thereof. This roller 124 contacts bowling ball 102 and aids in retaining the rotating ball 102 on the ball carriage 20 by holding the top surface of bowling ball 102. As the resilient member 122 is attached to latch 114, when the latch is raised to trigger the device, as will be described hereinafter, the resilient member 122 and roller 124 will also be raised out of the path of the ball, thus allowing the ball to be propelled.

In operation, the bowling ball propelling mechanism is placed in its desired position aimed at a bowling pin pattern. The mechanism is as shown in FIG. 1 with the ball 102 on the ball carriage 20 and the latch mechanism 104 firmly holding the piston rod 26 in its ready position. Air is introduced into air cylinder 16 through inlet 44 and when the air pressurein cylinder 16 reaches the desired value, the mechanism is ready to propel the bowling ball.

During this time the motor 84 mounted on the ball carriage is rotating rollers 98, as described hereinabove, and thus imparting rotation to the bowling ball 102 resting on the ball carriage 20.

At this time latch 104 is raised as at 112. This allows the latch mechanism to pivot at 108, 116 and 118, raising latch member 114 from contact with the steel ball 120. This permits the air pressure in cylinder 16, which is pushing against piston 28, to operate the piston 28 and the piston seal 32 thereby sharply moving the piston rod 26 and ball carriage 20 forward thus propelling the bowling ball 102 by imparting a linear force thereto. At the end of the piston rod stroke, shock absorber 38 strikes face 14' of block 14 and cushions the stopping force of the propelling mechanism.

When it is desired to provide a curved ball path such as a hook, it is possible to tilt the ball carriage 20 relative to the ground surface by releasing screws 58 and set screws 60 and 62, as discussed hereinabove, and rotate the piston rod and bearings relative to block 14 and frame by turning the ball carriage at a slight controllable angle to the horizontal. When this is done and the mechanism is triggered, as described hereinabove, the bowling ball will be propelled off the ball carriage at a slight controllable angle and will thus have a ball path which includes linear direction, rotational movement and a hook action derived from the tilt of the ball carriage.

Thus, it has been shown that the describedball propelling mechanism can provide a means for imparting movement to a bowling ball, which movement is controllable as to linear speed, rotational speed and the initial approach angle. This permits the bowling ball to have forward speed and rotation before the ball touches the surface area with the rotation equal to that required for the linear speed at which the ball is thrown to prevent ball skidding, ball marking and give a standardized and controllable ball path.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball propelling device comprising: a frame; a ball supporting carriage movably mounted on said frame; means on said carriage for releasably holding a ball and imparting rotational velocity to the ball;

means for rapidly moving the carriage to impart linear speed to the ball; means for tilting the ball carriage relative to the frame to provide a curved ball path; and means for quickly stopping the carriage to permit movement of the ball from the carriage by the ball momentum with the ball already rotating.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means for moving the carriage rapidly includes a pneumatic cylinder operatively connected to the carriage and a latch for releasably holding the carriage until build-up of pressure in the cylinder.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 in which said carriage stopping means includes a shock absorber operatively connected to said carriage.

4. A bowling ball propelling mechanism comprising: a frame having an aperture therein; an air cylinder mounted on said frame and having a piston movably mounted therein; a ball carriage adjacent an end of the frame; a piston rod movable in said frame and connected at one end to the piston and at the other end to the ball carriage; bearings mounted in the aperture in said frame supporting the piston rod for movement relative to said bearings in an axial direction only; releasable lock means on said frame for permitting rotational movement of the piston rod and bearings relative to the frame for adjustment of said carriage; at least one roller mounted on the ball carriage for imparting rotational movement to a bowling ball; and latch means for releasably controlling the axial movement of the piston rod and carriage relative to the frame.

5. A bowling ball propelling mechanism comprising: a frame; an air cylinder on said frame; a piston in said cylinder; at flexible seal between the piston and the cylinder; a movable ball carriage adjacent said cylinder; a piston rod movable in said frame and connected at one end to the piston and at the other end to the ball carriage; bearings in the frame supporting the piston rod; adjustable means for permitting rotation of the piston rod relative to the frame; means on the carriage for rotating a bowling ball; and latch means for releasably controlling the axial movement of the piston rod relative to the frame.

6. A ball propelling mechanism comprising: a frame; a cylinder on said frame; a piston in said cylinder; a piston rod with one end thereof connected to the piston; bearings supporting said rod for axial movement of the rod relative to said frame; a ball supporting carriage connected to said rod at the other end thereof; means on said carriage for rotating a ball resting thereupon; means for releasably retaining a ball on said carriage; releasable latch means for allowing movement of the piston rod; and resilient means for cushioning the stopping force of the rod after said latch means is released.

7. A ball propelling mechanism comprising: means for imparting a linear force to a ball including a cylinder; a piston in said cylinder; means for continuously supplying fluid to said cylinder; a ball carriage adjacent said cylinder; a piston rod connected at one end to the piston and connected at the other end to the ball carriage; means on the ball carriage for rotating a ball; and latch means for controlling the application of the linear force.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,596 7/1941 Wilsey 273-38 X 2,263,602 11/1941 Whittle 273129 X 2,280,331 4/ 1942 Whittle l24- l 2,548,439 4/1951 Moffett l24-ll X 2,923,285 2/1960 Salles 124--l3 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

7. A BALL PROPELLING MECHANISM COMPRISING: MEANS FOR IMPARTING A LINEAR FORCE TO A BALL INCLUDING A CYLINDER; A PISTON IN SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID CYLINDER; A BALL CARRIAGE ADJACENT SAID CYLINDER; A PISTON ROD CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE PISTON AND CONNECTED AT THE OTHER END TO THE BALL CARRIAGE; MEANS ON THE BALL CARRIAGE FOR ROTATING A BALL; A LATCH MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE APPLICATION OF THE LINEAR FORCE. 